Stupid Volvo Owner
by PlotBunnyWranglers
Summary: I was having a really bad day. Boys are persistent, and Edward Cullen is laughing at me. A little daydreaming never hurt anybody. AU BPOV
1. Daydreaming

**A/N: So after years of talking about this and several one-shots written together, we finally started writing a full length fic together. What started off as a joke in one of our hours-long phone calls, grew into this "what if" scenario of the Twilight novel. There will be humor, very little angst, and a lot of wild imagination. That is what came out of our brains joining forces. Hope you all enjoy reading this as much as we enjoyed writing it. **

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**Chapter One—Daydreaming**

"So, Jessica asked me to the spring dance."

And that was how it all started. One simple question that began the rapid decline of my entire afternoon. Mike was resting against the edge of the Biology table on one side of me, stammering through his roundabout way of garnering an invite to the dance from me. On the other side, Edward leaned minimally closer to me, obviously listening in on the conversation after ignoring my entire existence for the better part of two weeks.

What the hell? And rude much?

I couldn't make heads or tails of Edward Cullen, and I didn't think I ever would be able to. In the span of a few weeks, he'd gone from looks that could kill, to disappearing entirely as if I'd physically repelled him, to friendly and fascinated upon his return, saving my life from that van, then back to the cold shoulder and cryptic words, when he spoke at all. Yet, this was a side of him I'd never seen.

He was actually eavesdropping on Mike's conversation with me, and listening intently from what I could see in my peripheral vision. I tried for subtle, but Mike, my good buddy, was not picking up on it.

"Can't you go another weekend?"

Now who was being rude? Mike and Edward Cullen must be drinking from the same water source. Since Mike wasn't taking the hint, I did what I had to do and made myself clear.

"Sorry, no. So you shouldn't make Jess wait any longer. It's _rude._"

I tried to ignore his dejected look, but even as I closed my eyes, it was impossible. I rubbed at my temples and turned my gaze to Mr. Banner as he started the lesson. From the corner of my eye, I could see Edward's head still turned toward me. Curious, I looked at him, expecting him to look away as he had for the past two weeks.

He didn't. Instead, he had the same look of curious fascination that always in some way irritated me by bringing my hopes up. Why would someone like him find someone like me even remotely interesting? His penetrating gaze held mine, and I was unable to break away.

Thankfully, Mr. Banner saved me by asking Edward a question about his lecture. He answered it easily, as usual. I hid behind a curtain of hair and wondered what brought about this turn of events.

As class ended, I expected him to move with the same quick grace and leave the classroom, as if he couldn't wait to get away from me, but he remained in his chair, watching me. I didn't dare look at him, afraid of what I'd find on his sculptured face.

After feeling irritated over my guilt about hurting Mike, I wasn't in the mood to deal with a brooding Edward. I grabbed my bag and began gathering my things, stilling when he called my name.

I didn't look at him, knowing that if I did, I get lost in those dark eyes. When he said nothing, I asked curtly if he was talking to me again. His reply that he wasn't irritated me further.

It only got worse as he not only acknowledged his rudeness, but also stated that it was best that we weren't friends. The 'trust me' he tacked on at the end made my blood boil; he'd said that before.

The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, showing how upset I was about this whole thing. I accused him of regretting the fact that he'd saved my life. He didn't seem to like that, turning the tables and telling me I knew nothing.

_Obviously. The only thing I know about you is that you're super fast, strong and a liar. Your list is starting to grow as long as your nose, Edward._

Thankfully, I managed to keep that to myself. I was known for mumbling things under my breath when I was angry, and I was reaching that point. That meant, it was time to get out of dodge. Of course, in my haste and ire, I tripped with my arms full of my books and watched them fan out over the floor.

_Always the pinnacle of grace,_ I thought sarcastically.

Edward, being a gentleman— a first in my experience— handed me all the books in a neat pile before I could even bend down to grab anything. I cocked an eyebrow, which he pointedly ignored. I thanked him through gritted teeth, and he replied in the same manner.

"Asshole," I muttered under my breath, marching out of the room seconds later. The intake of breath behind me only quickened my pace.

~oOo~

"Uh, I was just wondering… if you would go to the spring dance with me?" Eric asked me as I was unlocking the door of my truck, and I had to actually restrain myself from banging my forehead against it.

Was he seriously kidding me? My patience with the entire day was beginning to wear thin. Mike's dejected puppy eyes had been difficult to bear, and now, I had a trip to Seattle to endure as well so I wouldn't be lying to him. But then Edward, with his hot and cold mood swings, added into the mix, I really just wanted to go home and relax. Maybe make something special for Charlie for dinner, as it would also help burn off some of the frustration from my day.

I tried to be civil, even giving a subtle reminder that it was _girl's choice_, before finally reiterating the Seattle story. I really didn't want to get his hopes up when he mentioned "next time", but I felt a little guilty as he skulked away; boys really could be such babies when it came to rejection.

My ire was renewed in an instant with one, singular sound; a deep chuckle. I glanced briefly to see Edward Cullen passing in front of my truck, obviously amused at what had just transpired. I really needed to get out of there before I was any more tempted to clasp my hands around that long neck of his and squeeze. He was quite possibly the most infuriating, confusing and contradicting human being to ever walk the planet. I yanked my door open and got into my truck, revving the engine a little too loudly as I glanced over to him a couple of cars away.

"Yeah, you're just lucky there's two cars between you and me, buddy," I growled under my breath before backing out of the spot. Once out, I gripped the gearshift again and returned my eyes to the windshield, in time to watch Edward Cullen's car glide out in front of me.

And stop.

Across the schoolyard, his adopted siblings were on their way toward the vehicle, but still by the cafeteria. Behind me, cars were starting to line up. And in front of me, I could see Edward in his rearview mirror, grinning, and I narrowed my eyes.

"My truck could squash your fancy little Volvo like a bug, smirky," I muttered under my breath, my attention so focused on the inconsiderate jerk in front of me that I jumped slightly when there was a knock on my passenger window.

Tyler was standing beside my truck, even though upon looking, I saw his car behind me, still running and door wide open. I rolled down the window with difficulty and apologized, explaining that I was stuck behind Edward. "Oh, I know. I just wanted to ask you something while we're trapped here."

_Don't say it, Tyler. Please don't say it,_ I internalized, closing my eyes and giving him the same excuse I'd given Mike and Eric. And he_ knew_; okay, what was it with these boys? I felt the heat rise in my face as my anger escalated further. My eyes focused ahead, noticing Edward's shoulders, which were shaking from his unmistakable laughter. His eyes were on me, watching from his rearview mirror.

My imagination spiked as my foot twitched toward the gas pedal. It was almost as if he heard every word Eric and Tyler had said, which was impossible. It also seemed that he loved every second of my growing anger and embarrassment since our mutual class. My earlier thought of hitting his shiny little car only gave me some satisfaction. I manipulated that earlier musing to totaling his back end, instead of giving it only a tap.

_Oh, that's much better, much more satisfying. _

A startling sound of crunching metal brought me out of my imagination, or what I thought was a daydream. Did that just happen? The shocked expressions of five unearthly beautiful people said it did.

"Oh shit."


	2. Responsible

**Chapter Two—Responsible**

Was it even slightly possible that no one else saw that? Or maybe I really was dreaming, in one of my vivid nightmares I'd been prone to having since I was a little girl. In which I actually did just drive my monster of a truck into the back of Edward Cullen's car.

I pinched the back of my hand, and damn it, that hurt. So I began to take inventory of the situation.

Seemingly the entire student body now out of their cars, wide eyed and gaping, staring at the scene in front of them. Embarrassment flooding over me in a swift rush. Five stunned teenagers stepping out of the car and moving to the back, craning their necks to inspect the point of impact.

Yep, all the ingredients for a generous helping of reality, present and accounted for. At least they didn't seem to have whiplash or any kind of serious injury. Or maybe they were in shock and shouldn't be moving at all.

I shoved my door open again and jumped out, making my way over to them quickly. "Oh my God, I am so sorry. Are you guys okay? I don't know what happened, my foot must have slipped."

Edward's dark, angry eyes met mine and I actually took a step back averting my gaze to the petite girl standing beside him. Alice, wasn't it? She was staring at me with the strangest expression, like I was a complicated Trig problem she was trying to work out as she took slow, measured steps toward me.

"Alice," Edward nearly growled and her attention shifted sharply to him. They held each other's eyes for a moment until she shook her head, and he looked to me again. "You hit my car."

"I have insurance," I offered stupidly, rolling my eyes at myself. "I know you're okay, but the rest of you?" They were kind of closing in on me, except for the blond guy, though he looked somewhat amused for some reason.

"What do you mean you know 'I'm okay'?" Edward asked, looking thoroughly confused, and if I wasn't mistaken, hurt. I dismissed that quickly and focused on his forehead to answer.

It wouldn't be a good idea to look him in the eyes now—I'd probably die from mortification.

Did I really have to remind him? I cocked an eyebrow, my earlier anger returning. "Super fast and strong," I hissed as I took a step closer. That made him take one back. I felt some satisfaction from that. "If the van didn't do anything, I really doubt _that_ harmed you in any way."

"Dude, there's not even a scratch on her truck," the big one, I thought I remembered Jessica saying his name was Emmett, said. His glamazon girlfriend stood beside him, glaring at me. I swore those dark eyes were drilling holes into my head.

"What can I say, they don't build them like they used to," I said with a shrug. "Are you all okay?"

One by one, they all nodded, while Edward just stood with his arms crossed over his chest, now glaring. We stood there awkwardly, waiting for someone to say anything. After several moments, it was clear that no one was going to, so I turned back to my truck, shaking my head.

"Where do you think you're going?" Edward asked through clenched teeth.

"To grab my insurance information," I said, grumbling as I carefully walked over to the driver's side, surreptitiously balancing myself along the side. The last thing I wanted was to fall on my behind in front of the growing audience. I had no doubt that Charlie had already heard of the incident. News traveled fast in Forks, even if no one in the entire parking lot had thought to call the police. Under my breath, I berated myself. "This is what you get for dreaming of ramming his stupid, shiny Volvo."

A second later, a booming laughter erupted from Emmett as if he heard me. It was a full on belly laugh and Edward was glaring at him, then at me. What did I do?

Oh right, I hit his precious car.

I sighed and ignored the big oaf and Edward. I rummaged through my glove compartment where Charlie had said the information was for when I needed it. It was time to clean it out, because it seemed to contain some of Billy and Jacob's stuff still. It only took a few seconds to find what I needed, but took several more to gather myself.

My anger usually produced tears, and I was determined not to let Edward Cullen see me cry. He'd probably enjoy my suffering. "It's all your fault, smirky."

Another round of laughter seemed to resonate through the windshield. Time to face the music, I told myself as I walked over to Edward.

He looked even angrier than before. "Now you know how I've felt all day long," I said half-heartedly.

_Foot meet mouth. _

Emmett was laughing again, and the blond guy, who looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but there, joined him. Edward was not amused. I mentally ticked a point for my side of the board.

I began writing down my insurance information and phone number, tearing the page out of my notebook and holding it out to Edward when I was done. I watched his eyes lower to my hand and return to mine with a raised brow, and I noticed his nostrils flare ever so subtly. What was he waiting for? If he took too much longer, Charlie was going to show up and my frantic, or even angry, father was not something I wished to deal with in front of all those people. "Look, your car is going to get fixed, my insurance will take care of it."

Edward remained standing a few feet in front of me while Alice suddenly lowered herself into the car again and pulled it back into a parking space. One roadblock down, one to go, but he still wasn't taking the paper from me. "I don't think we need to worry about that. I will handle it through mine."

My eyes widened and my breath caught; what the heck was he doing?

To my surprise, Alice appeared at Edward's side again, taking the sheet of paper from me and looking up at him. "Edward, don't be so difficult. She's being responsible."

His glare returned to her, but she seemed to ignore him and wave me toward my truck with a smile, her eyes following my every step as I hurried by them. Once inside, I started the engine again and Alice corralled everyone to the side to allow me to pass. I studiously ignored them as I drove by, but couldn't help but look in my rearview mirror. While his siblings surrounded him—the other two guys were still chuckling, and the remaining blond girl's angered expression nearly mirrored his—Edward watched me as I drove away.

His mouth moved, and even though I couldn't hear him, I thought I saw his lips form my name. I shivered, though I didn't understand why.

All my hopes that I would make it home and have time to prepare myself to deal with my father were dashed as I spotted his cruiser in the driveway upon my arrival, with him leaning against the trunk. His arms were folded over his chest and his face appeared stern, but his eyes told a different story as they met mine. I'd seen that exact look only two weeks before when he rushed into the ER looking for me, after yet another vehicular mishap. He was worried.

He pushed of the car and made his way toward me quickly as I got out of my truck. "Bella, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Dad, really. Not a scratch on me or the truck," I answered, praying he would be relieved enough that he might let it go for now.

"Uh, Bells?" _Damn, no such luck_, I thought as I turned back to him, not even making it two full steps away. His eyebrows rose inquiringly and he shrugged his shoulders, and I knew it was coming. "What happened?"

I sighed heavily, ducking my head a little before I could answer. "It was an accident. He pulled out in front of me, I was mad and my foot slipped. It hit the gas instead of the brake."

Charlie hummed in contemplation—that didn't sound good. "So, you totaled the back of the Cullen boy's car because you were _mad_?"

"It wasn't _totaled_," I clarified, making my way inside. "It was really just a tap."

"That's not what I heard," he stated as he followed. "The school called and said that the bumper had half fallen off."

I groaned, opening the fridge in need of something cool to drink. "The insurance will cover it, right?"

"Yeah, but there's still the deductible," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "The higher it is, the cheaper the monthly rate is with a teenage daughter behind the wheel."

I eyed him warily. "How much, Dad?"

"A thousand," he replied, shrugging past me for his own drink. My eyes widened and I gasped, choking slightly on the sip of water I had just taken. "Don't worry about it. I have some money saved up—"

"Stop right there," I huffed, collecting myself quickly. "It was my dumb mistake and I'll take care of it. I have a little money saved up. Not that much, but I'm sure I can find a part time job somewhere."

The phone rang before he could comment, and I was grateful for the interruption. I used the distraction to march upstairs to my room. I shook my hands out, feeling a little cramped from holding the steering wheel so hard when I'd gotten upset.

What was about Edward Cullen that made me so stupid?

I sighed as I fell back on my bed, staring up at my ceiling. After a few minutes, I heard Charlie come up the stairs, followed by a cautious knock on my door. I hoped that he hadn't called my mom about what happened. Though she'd worry, once she was satisfied that I was okay, she'd grill me about _why_ I hit Edward's car. Worse than any interrogation I'd ever get from my father, and _he_ was the cop.

"Come in," I called out warily.

"Hey," he said in an uneasy voice. "That was Dr. Cullen."

I stiffened and sat up on my bed. "And?"

"He already has an estimate."

My eyes widened as I checked the time. "It's barely been an hour, if that!"

He shrugged. "Money talks." I huffed, angrily putting my hair in a ponytail with the band I had around my wrist. "Anyway, they aren't going to sue or anything, but the insurance is going to need that deductible to get started on repairs."

"I don't have that kind of money yet," I said softly, stopping him when he tried to offer help again. "I should apologize to Mr. Cullen and his wife."

"And Edmund."

I chuckled at that. "Yes, and Edmund."

"We can head there now. Maybe we can come up with a solution for paying." I nodded and began making my way to the truck.

"Hold on, Bells," he said, halting me in my steps and patted the hood affectionately, whispering, "Thanks for taking care of my girl." I blushed, feeling a tiny ache in my chest from that little show of his love for me. It didn't happen often, but when it did, it hit me hard. It was moments like that when I really didn't regret coming to live with him.

"We're taking the cruiser," he said, his hand held out for my keys. "Since you're grounded for a month, you won't be needing those and I will drive. While I do that, you'll tell me what this Cullen boy did to upset you."

I groaned again as I set the keys in his palm, closing my eyes like an idiot while I was walking, never a good thing for me to do. I accidently stubbed my toe against the lip of the driveway, biting my lip when I realized my nail cut into the skin.

_Ouch._

One more thing to make for a really bad day. Could it get any worse? Then again, I was heading to the Cullen's home where a certain moody, laugh-at-me, smirking jerk would be.

Yep, it was about to get a _lot _worse.


	3. Deductible

**A/N: Sorry this update is so late. FFn was a bit wonky yesterday and wouldn't let us in to post a new chapter. Hope you all enjoy. **

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**Stupid Volvo Owner**

**Chapter Three—Deductible **

"I really am so sorry for what happened this afternoon. And I have every intention of paying the deductible myself, since it was entirely my fault. I just don't have a thousand dollars right this instant. It's going to take me some time," I stammered through the speech I had been preparing in my head on the drive over to the Cullens', as the explanation to my father took all of fifteen seconds. _He was laughing at me and enjoying my torment of being asked to the dance by three guys, and he purposely put himself in my way so I couldn't avoid the third. I didn't intend to hit his car, it was like a road rage moment. _And I said this to my _police officer_ father; yeah, didn't help my situation at all.

It had all sounded so much better in my head, too. Though Dr. and Mrs. Cullen appeared very understanding of the situation, Edward was still furious, and it was a bit mind-boggling. It seemed a bit excessive over a car, even for a guy.

"I tried to offer some assistance, but she insists on doing it all herself. Current situation aside, she is a very responsible and reliable young woman, Edmund," Charlie added sincerely, and I snorted as I attempted not to laugh, confusing my father.

"It's Edward, sir," Edward replied in a calm voice, but when I actually snickered out loud, his eyes hardened more as he glanced over to me again. It sobered me quickly, though it was pretty funny.

"I'll get a job after school or something, and I have some money saved up," I continued, turning my eyes back to his parents.

"And while you are doing this, my car is supposed to just sit and wait for who knows how long to be repaired," Edward growled, his dark eyes cutting over to me.

"Edward," Mrs. Cullen admonished in a stern, motherly tone that, incredibly, did distract his attention from me. "You are being unnecessarily rude."

Edward closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, appearing to attempt to calm himself before shaking his head. "Fine, apology accepted. Don't worry about it, the deductible will be paid."

It was obvious he wanted me out of his sight immediately. I tried not to let it get to me, but the flush of embarrassment and anger rose to my cheeks anyway.

"I said I'd pay for it," I stated firmly. "It shouldn't take long—"

"And I've said it would be taken care of," he rudely interrupted. That earned him a tsk from his mother. I smiled a little at that. His lips thinned, then suddenly his heard turned to his sister Alice. "No, Alice."

Dr. Cullen cleared his throat, sharing a look with the two of them. Alice spoke up, offering a perfect solution.

"The deductible will be paid so Edward can have his car back, but you can work off the debt around here," she offered happily, almost appearing giddy by the thought.

"That could work," I said, nodding. "I can cook, clean, run errands for you and your wife, Mr. Cullen."

Esme smiled warmly, as she shook her head. "The car is Edward's, something he'd bought and paid for…so it would be him you'd work for."

I gaped. "Oh." _Quick, Bella, come up with some way out of this. There is no way you can work for him and not wring his neck. _"I'm actually not sure how that would work. I've been grounded from driving."

"The folks of Forks will sleep better now," Edward sneered. His mother leveled him a glare.

"I don't want this to interfere with homework, either," Charlie added, completely ignoring my input to the situation. "But if she worked weekends only, at minimum wage, eight hours a week, it'll take—"

"Almost four months to pay off the thousand dollar deductible," I groaned. "Besides losing my driving privileges, I'm also losing my weekends for four months. Maybe I should work eight hours a _day_ instead of all weekend."

"You did say it was your fault," Alice chimed in. And I thought she was on my side.

"You're all assuming that I'm agreeing to this," Edward added. I eyed him from under the protection of my hair, and saw him staring at me. At least he wasn't glaring anymore. Every present member of his family turned toward him in unison. For a few seconds, they only stared, as if they were silently talking to each other.

_Creepy. _

"All right," he finally said. "You can work over the next _sixteen _weekends, though it could possibly be more, depending on the weather and other circumstances."

_Did he just add more to my prison sentence?_

I held out my hand, since it was, in essence, a contract. He looked at it as if had the bubonic plague right on the surface. Stiffly, he nodded and took on a very uncomfortable stance. Wow, he couldn't even tolerate touching me in the most basic of contact. Ouch.

"Thank you for letting me do this my way," I said, shrugging and forcing myself to keep eye contact with him. "And I really am sorry for hitting your car."

"You should be," he huffed, stepping back and putting that much more distance between us. Was I really that repellant to him? It was going to be a long four months.

"Fine, now, I need to go home and see if I can find a ride to school," I grumbled, refusing to meet Edward's eyes again. He had to be disappointed in the fact that he had to spend time with me. "Maybe Mike or Tyler wouldn't mind or something."

Edward's glare returned hard and fierce. His mood swings were making me dizzy. After saying goodbye and following Esme to the door, Charlie whispered, "I can drop you off at school, Bells."

"I draw the line at being dropped off in a cruiser, Dad. I'd rather walk."

Edward joined us at the door, but he looked to Charlie. "I can offer Bella a ride to and from school, Sir."

My gaze turned quickly to him, my forehead creasing at his sudden and abrupt offer. There was no way I'd be able to handle being in a car with him. Ever. Even now, he stood close enough for me to smell him; it was hard not to take a deep breath. No way could I be in the same car with him.

"How are you supposed to do that without a vehicle? Remember? My truck, your car, meeting under not so friendly circumstances? Sort of like us. The whole reason behind all of this? Ring a bell?"

The bored expression on his face might have been comical if it wasn't actually mocking me at that moment. "It's not the only vehicle I am capable of driving around here."

Of course not. With more money than could be used in _one_ lifetime, let alone seven of them, why would it be? It made me wonder if he robbed banks or something. He was super strong and speedy. My eyes narrowed, showing my disapproval.

"We already said I was only working on weekends," I reasoned.

"It's only a ride to and from school. I would pick you up and drop you off at your door, not mine. And be that as it may, Bella," he said, turning to address me. "I thought it would be prudent that we get to know each other, after all, you'll be working for me. I need to know what you're capable of."

_Did he just use the word _prudent_ in a sentence?_

"That's probably a good idea," Charlie said, looking at a pricey vase nearby. "She probably shouldn't dust around here."

"No, definitely not," Edward said with a smile, chuckling.

While they shared a laugh at my expense, I stomped my foot and went outside toward the cruiser. I turned to see Charlie follow, and most of the Cullen family stood on the porch. Each member had various expressions. His parents seemed happy for some reason. Alice, who hadn't stopped smiling since I arrived, was still grinning. Emmett, on the other hand, appeared highly entertained. His girlfriend never showed to the meeting, nor had the other blond sibling. Edward, well, he seemed amused by something, as well. That made no sense to me, considering he'd been mostly angry up until now.

"See, that smirk right there," I said, pointing at him and dropped my hand just as quickly. I was letting my anger get the best of me again. "That look right there, got me so mad that I rammed into his back end."

Mild shock came over all of them, Charlie choking and sputtering for some reason. Emmett looked about ready to roll on the floor laughing, while Edward palmed his face.

I realized what I said and the unintended innuendo made me flush again, especially because even my _father_ had twisted it. That was wrong on so many levels. Correction to my earlier thought; it was going to be a _very _long four months. I sought sanctuary in the cruiser, as Dad said goodbye again. When he opened his door, Edward walked over to my side.

"See you bright and early tomorrow, Bella." He was still wearing a smirk, but his eyes had lightened considerably without the scowl on his face.

I nodded, refusing to look at him again. He chuckled as he walked toward the house. As Charlie backed out, I wondered aloud, "Why does it feel like I just made a deal with the devil?"

Charlie laughed, shaking his head. "Maybe you'll understand one day, Bells."

What did he mean by that?

Feeling that it was safe to look up again, I was surprised to see Edward still out there. The glare was gone, as was the smirk. In its place was a look of sadness.

Was it something I said?


	4. Ride

**Stupid Volvo Owner**

**Chapter Four—Ride**

_Anytime now, you can wake up from this horrible nightmare, Bella. There is no way that so much could go wrong in one single day, and be real. _

That was a nice thought—until Charlie knocked on my bedroom door the next morning on his way by.

"Bells, it's just about seven. Edmund should be here soon to pick you up," he said through a yawn.

"It's Edward, Dad," I corrected him, surprising even myself. Served Edward right for being so rude and impossible. So why was I correcting my father instead of just letting it go, or even finding amusement in the blunder as I had the day before? _Must be my sleep-deprived brain going temporarily insane_, I thought as I shoved the covers off me and rose from bed.

"Right. That's right. I knew that," he mumbled softly as he continued toward the stairs. 

I grabbed my toiletry bag and crossed the hall to the bathroom for a shower. My mind continued to run to the point of distraction, as it had all night. How had I gotten into this mess? Oh yeah, because I'd let my temper get the better of me.

Edward Cullen couldn't stand me, that much was obvious. Between his death glares and insisting that we "really shouldn't be friends", disgusted by my presence anywhere in his vicinity, why on earth would he agree to not only me being in his house every single week, but then offer to drive me to and from school as well? He was a walking, talking contradiction, and he was literally driving me out of my mind trying to figure him out. Every time I would finally think I had him pegged, his mood would swing again, and I'd be starting at square one.

I finished my morning routine and spent several minutes, deciding on what to wear. After picking a blue blouse my mother bought me for the move, I ran downstairs to grab something for breakfast.

In my rush, I didn't see the way the runner at the foot of the stairs was raised slightly on one side and stumbled. Cursing, I adjust the stupid thing so it wouldn't happen again.

"That is probably moot," _he _said from the living room, where he leaned against the wall, amused. Startled, and then incensed by his words, I only shrugged. It was obvious Charlie had let him in, yet his appearance still made my stomach flutter and my heart race. _Stupid, stupid,_ I told myself.

No one had the right to look that good, first thing in the morning. From beneath my hair, I noticed the designer jeans and obviously expensive grey pullover and jacket. Despite the rain coming down, he was relatively dry and too handsome for his own good. Then he had to go and ruin my staring, by opening his mouth. "You'd probably trip on air."

I glared at the casual aloofness he seemed to portray with ease, while I blushed stupidly. I did the next best thing. I ignored him, walking right past without a second look.

"I'm heading out, Bells. Edward's already here!" Charlie called out from the kitchen, surprised when he'd seen I was already downstairs. "Oh, I'm running late, so I'll see you later today."

I tried not to show my annoyance with Edward, but Charlie's gaze bounced between us, likely sensing the tension. He addressed Edward with a nod as he grabbed his thermos of coffee and his jacket.

"If you change your mind about needing a ride," Charlie started to offer, but stopped when I shook my head.

"I'll talk to some of my friends, since I don't want to inconvenience Edward," I said softly, handing him keys. We shared a brief smile; he was always leaving his keys everywhere and could never find them in the morning.

"It's not an inconvenience, Bella," Edward added in a smooth tone that I suspected was for Charlie and not me. "It's on my way."

I nodded, not committing to anything. If I could find a ride with someone else, I would. It was for the best. I wasn't sure I could handle being that close to Edward every day. Biology, sitting side-by-side, was hard enough.

Once Charlie was out the door, I moved toward the kitchen, somehow knowing he'd follow. There were no footsteps, but I sensed he was there in the dull yellow room that tried too hard to be cheerful. _Maybe I could paint it_, I thought, but quickly shook it away.

I grabbed an apple and a bottle of orange juice, determined to ignore him. He hadn't said a word, and I wasn't about to start a conversation.

"That doesn't look like sufficient sustenance," he commented, leaning against the entrance.

"Don't worry," I stated with a roll of my eyes. "I'll eat quickly so I don't spill something in whatever car you're driving today."

He sighed, shaking his head and walking out. What was it about him that sent me into an automatic defensive mood?

"Maybe because ninety percent of the things he says are meant to antagonize me," I muttered bitterly to myself.

Suddenly, I heard the front door slam closed. I spent a few minutes eating and listening for an engine. Mentally, I came up with a few solutions if he left without me. The rain had stopped, even though dark clouds still loomed overhead; I would walk if I had to.

I cleaned up the small mess I made, grabbing my things. With a deep breath, I opened my front door and gaped. Parked by the curb was a car like I'd seen in one of the James Bond movies Dad liked so much—an Aston Martin—or something like that.

"Are you coming?" Edward's voice caught me by surprise, as my attention had been solely focused on the vehicle in front of me. He stood beside the passenger door, holding it open, but my feet still wouldn't move. "You wouldn't want to tarnish that perfect attendance record you have so far, now would you?"

There was that sarcastic lilt to his voice again; I _hated_ that. "Why do you feel the need to constantly provoke me? What have I done to you?" I asked and watched one of his annoyingly perfect eyebrows arch. "Before this. And why in the world are you having a hissy fit over that Volvo when you have something like _this_?"

"Why do you assume that it's mine?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him intently. "Isn't it?"

"Yes, but that's quite an assumption, Miss Swan," he replied as he gestured his hand toward the door again, and with a huff, I made my way down the front steps and to the car, sliding in quickly. Once I was in the car, he closed the door and my eyes followed him as he walked around the front, seemingly taking his time before settling in himself. "To answer your question, I don't enjoy drawing an exorbitant amount of attention to myself, or my family, and there's little chance of that not happening, driving this into a high school parking lot."

"Like you need a car for that," I muttered disgruntledly, rubbing my arms with my hands. I still couldn't seem to get used to the cold, damp air of Forks, even when it wasn't raining, after so long in Phoenix. A soft click sounded from beside me and I turned to look in time to find Edward's hand retracting from the dash, where he had just flipped on the heater. "Thank you."

He nodded in response, but his eyes were already focused back on the road in front of him. I'd actually hoped for a wordless drive to school, but now in the midst of it, the silence was anything but comfortable. It was thick, strained, and making me all the more eager to find another way to school. His fingers kept wringing around the steering wheel, his jaw tense, and his lips working as if he had just eaten something particularly distasteful.

"Really, Edward. I can just talk to my friends about catching a ride to school. I'm sure Mike would be more than okay—"

"No," he replied sharply and I was taken aback by his tone. "I'm sure he would be, but I really don't have a problem with picking you up. Newton would have to pass by the school to get to you anyway."

"At least Mike enjoys my company," I grumbled pointedly and heard the leather creak beneath him as his body straightened, drawing a long deep breath through his nose. He appeared angry, but what did he expect? His body language screamed that he really didn't want me there, as if I were contaminating his car with my presence.

"As I said before, you don't know anything," he hissed.

I sighed and let my hair provide me with some security. It was that first day in Biology again, only worse, it seemed.

"The only reason I don't know anything is because you won't tell me," I murmured. "Even after you promised."

I took a chance and glanced in his direction. Though he still had a death grip on the steering wheel, the rest of his body relaxed infinitesimally.

"It's for the best, Bella," he said with a sigh.

"You've said that, too," I said, shaking my head and turning my gaze out the window. "Funny how you said you didn't want to be friends, or even be near me, for that matter, and yet you volunteered to drive me around in this outrageous car."

"I never said I didn't want to be friends," he said, offering nothing more. After another minute of silence, I noticed we were quickly approaching school. "It's a good thing we're early. Most of the student body hasn't even arrived yet. I can only imagine their reactions to our arrival."

Horrified by his words, I instinctively curled toward my door. "Drop me off at the corner, then," I snapped, refusing to look at him. I felt the heat on my cheeks and cursed the blend of anger and embarrassment again. "Since you wouldn't want to be seen with me," I added.

A crack of something sounded beside me, but I refused to look.

"What on earth gave you that impression?"

I kept my voice as neutral. "You just said it was a good thing that most of the school wasn't there yet to see us together." He parked, pulling into the spot with graceful ease. He sighed as the car's engine smoothly came to a stop.

"Please look at me, Bella," he said.

My nails bit into my palm, even through my glove, as I braced myself to comply. I turned to face him, though my eyes were still closed. "What?"

"Look at me, Bella," he whispered. Even though he was a few feet away, I swore I felt his words brush over my cheek.

My eyes opened to find him looking at me strangely. He had the same soft, but sad look as when I left his home the day before.

"I had not meant that I would be embarrassed to be seen with you," he stated. "I know you don't like being the center of attention. I didn't want _you_ to feel embarrassed." He patted his dashboard gently. "I knew if we arrived much later, you'd hate all the attention we'd get climbing out of this car."

I shook my head, looking at my lap and smiling a little. It made me feel a little better. "Okay," I said, fidgeting with one of the straps of my backpack. "Thank you." I looked up, our eyes met and the proximity was overwhelming.

"You're welcome," he replied. There was something in his voice that hinted in wistfulness.

"We better go," I said, checking to make sure all the zippers were closed. It was stupid, but I always did it before I got out of a car. There had been a few incidents where the contents spilled all over the place, so I started to double check, just in case.

I startled slightly when his door closed, noticing with wide eyes that he was already by my door. It reminded me about how fast he had to have moved when Tyler's van nearly crushed me. I was stunned further when he opened my door, like a gentleman would.

The surprise must have shown in my expression, because he had that very pleased smirk on his face. Furthermore, he held out his hand for mine. Cautious, I placed my gloved one in his, as he helped me out.

For a moment, he seemed reluctant to release his hold, his eyes falling to our joined hands and his features shifting right along with them. His fingers glided along the underside of mine once before he suddenly pulled away as if he'd been burned and the tension returned to the corners of his lips. "Yes, we really should go. Have a good day."

I watched him quickly walk away and his hands slide into his front pockets, my head shaking with a sigh.

It wasn't even eight o'clock yet, and I'd already lost count of Edward Cullen's mood swings just that morning.


	5. Lunch

**Stupid, Volvo Owner**

**Chapter Five—Lunch**

"So how angry was your dad about yesterday?" Angela asked while we were standing in line at lunch.

I surreptitiously glanced over my shoulder toward the Cullen's table, finding Edward's gaze locked on me from across the room. He was watching me intently, but with no other real decipherable expression on his face, at least not with the distance between us. I brought my gaze back to Angela and shrugged non-committally. "Not as mad as he probably could have been, but enough to ground me for a month and confiscate my keys."

"So, you're gonna need a ride to school or something?" Mike asked from behind me and my head spun back to look at him, his eyes lit with excitement. "You know, I wouldn't mind at all. The last thing you want is to be dropped off by your dad, right?"

"Or I could pick you up, Bella," Tyler interrupted eagerly, nudging Mike aside. "It's the least I could do after the van thing."

"Somehow, I don't think that would be all too kosher with my dad, Tyler," I replied over my shoulder as I paid for my lunch, which consisted of bottled juice and a slice of pizza. "But thanks, Mike. That would be great, actually."

The boys got into some kind of macho shoving match behind me, but I barely noticed as my eyes met the Cullen table again, where Edward appeared to be in a heated discussion with Rosalie. His jaw was tight and his hands were fisted, though nothing compared to the intensity in his dark eyes as they suddenly cut over to me, causing me to halt and even take a step back. His gaze was still scorching a hole straight through me when we finally made it to our table and I sat with my back to him.

"Dude, I would not want to be in your shoes right now. I don't think I've ever seen Edward that pissed off in the two years they've been here," Jessica commented, and I couldn't help myself. I looked over my shoulder again at him, and found him sitting at a different table, away from his siblings, and gesturing with two fingers for me to join him. "Is…is he… talking to _you_, Bella?"

Jessica's stammered question brought my attention back to her and I shrugged. "Probably not. He pretty much hates me. I wrecked his car, after all."

Everyone laughed but her, and her gaze remained behind me. "No, Bella, I really think he was talking to you. He's still staring over here, and it's not at any of _us_."

I grunted, standing from my chair and grabbing my tray, walking quickly over to his table and sitting down across from him. "What? You know, for not wanting to make an embarrassing scene this morning, you certainly have no problem with it now in front of the entire cafeteria. Did you change your mind _again_ or something?"

A smirk began tugging at the corners of his mouth and it was obvious he was attempting to contain his amusement. "Actually, Bella, I think more attention was drawn by the scraping metal chair legs and your stomping feet than anything I did."

I rolled my eyes, hating to admit to the fact that he was right, so I didn't, and sighed in exasperation. "What do you want, Edward?"

His smirk instantly disappeared and his gaze hardened again. "Why did you accept a ride from Newton?"

"I was just… how did you know about that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

"It wasn't that difficult to figure out. There is a limited number of situations that would induce that level of smugness, considering you already turned him down for the dance," Edward replied, gesturing over to the table again, where Mike, Eric and Tyler were all staring at us, but he was right. Mike was still wearing a cocky grin. "Aside from that, it is fairly simple to read lips. And you didn't answer my question."

"Sucks, doesn't it?" I retorted snidely, looking down to my tray and beginning to rip the corners off my napkin. "Why do you care anyway?"

"Bella, I said I didn't mind driving you to and from school. I thought we cleared that up this morning."

"Your mouth says that but the rest of your body doesn't," I stated, reminding him of what I said earlier. I popped open my drink and took a sip. His fingers moved slower than I had come to expect, but then again, I'd noticed that he tended to do so when others were around, threatening van incidents aside. They closed around the lid, his eyes on it as he made it spin.

"You're making this exceedingly more difficult than it needs to be," he said, lifting golden eyes to meet mine. Before I could ask something that triggered a memory in my mind, he continued. "I think it's rather rude of you to find another ride, when I offered to help you."

He knew he had me there. It was rather rude of me, though he really wasn't in any position to call _anyone _rude, but I thought he didn't want to be so inconvenienced. His brows pulled together as his lips pursed.

"Besides it's partially my fault you're in this predicament." A smile twitched at his mouth as my eyes widened.

"Ha!" I shook a finger at him. "So you'll admit that you were laughing at me." He shrugged, still smiling gently. His fingers continued to make the bottle top spin, making it hard not to watch. "That's not fair, then."

His gaze fell to my lips, but snapped back up to my eyes. "It's not my fault you have no self-control." There was something in his words that made me shiver, an edge I hadn't heard before. "Besides, I offered to let it go. It was you that insisted on paying me back."

I looked away, shrugging. "I don't like knowing I'm in debt to someone." What if later he asked me to pay him back— no, it was too risky to let it go.

I turned to find him with his chin resting on his propped up hand, watching me intently. "What are you thinking?"

For a moment, I lost my train of thought. His eyes, so different from before, seemed to be searching for the answer he sought. His lashes were impossibly long and dark against his pale skin. Gone were the light bruises under his eyes from that first day, as was the color.

I certainly couldn't tell him he was beautiful.

"About what's going to happen this weekend? What you're going to make me do?"

His brows furrowed again, his long fingers tapping against his cheek. "You're a terrible liar, Bella."

My face flushed under his scrutiny, noticing how he leaned back suddenly, his hands moving faster than before. The bottle top spun incredibly fast under his fingers. I looked down to my plate again.

"I was thinking that your eyes are not the same color as the day we met," I stated, tearing off a piece of pizza with my fingers. It was cold, already feeling like cardboard. I wasn't hungry anyway and pushed it away.

There was an intake of breath and I looked to see his eyes close. "Ever think of contacts?" he said as a way of a suitable answer.

"Now who's the liar," I said, rising from my seat and taking my stuff with me. I had enough and needed to breathe. There were so many eyes on us. He reached for me, but dropped his hand just as quickly. The little bottle cap had disappeared.

"What about our arrangement?"

"Fine," I replied. I didn't want to explain to Charlie about a new arrangement anyway; it would only make him more curious. "You can continue to pick me up for school, until I can get my truck back."

As I passed my friends at our table, needing the space to think, I heard Mike curse. He had to have heard what I said, and from the mild shock of the other's faces, they realized that I had arrived with Edward that morning.

When I looked back at him, he was looking rather pleased with himself.

_Boys. _

I was so frustrated, that I made my way straight through the school, all the way to Biology, sitting outside the door to think while I waited for the bell to ring. I knew boys could be infuriating, even from my own limited experiences, but Edward Cullen had to be the most exasperating human on the entire planet.

What ever happened to simple answers for simple questions? Why did everything have to be in riddles, or outright rudeness? And why should I have been letting it bother me so much? It was only one month of riding with him to school, and another few months past that to work off my debt, and then we were under no further obligation to each other.

I looked up suddenly when legs began to pass me, and saw the hallway filled with students again. The bell had apparently rung and I'd been so lost in my thoughts about Edward that I hadn't noticed. The next four months couldn't pass by quickly enough.

I rose from the floor, brushing off the seat of my pants, while my eyes began searching the hallway. There was no sign of him, and he was usually one of the first to class, if not already seated before anyone else made it there. I peeked in the doorway quickly; his seat was still empty. One by one, each of my classmates entered, yet he still had not arrived by the time the bell rang again, and I hurried into the room myself.

Where was he? I _just_ saw him. Was he _trying _to stress me out with the idea that, after insisting on being my ride to and from school, he would just disappear? Was this his idea of a joke? Fine, I'd rather walk home anyway, I thought to myself as I made my way over to the lab table and sat down, distractedly taking one of the boxes being passed around the room.

Only the snap of a glove caught my full attention, and then I watched Mr. Banner carefully as he made his way over to Mike and began demonstrating the lab for that day—blood-typing.

_Just when I thought this day couldn't possibly get any better_, I mused sarcastically, laying my face down on the cool tabletop. _I must have really pissed off the universe somehow, with the way the last couple of days have gone._

Thankfully, Mr. Banner noticed the obvious green tinge to my skin and instructed someone to take me to the nurse. Imagine my "surprise" when Mike was the first to volunteer, but my stomach was turning and I felt dizzy, even sitting down; I was in no position to object.

Once we were outside, the fresh air helped some, taking another breath made a little of the fogginess clear from my head. Mike was insistent on half-carrying me to the nurse's office though, my arm heavy on his shoulders and his conveniently wrapped around my waist under my jacket. I shivered as the cold permeated the sliver of skin when my shirt rode up.

"Let me sit down for a minute," I pretended to groan when his thumb brushed against my back. Though I was still a little wobbly on my feet, I wasn't about to allow an awkward thing to pass between us.

I sat on the curb, resting my forehead on my knees. Mike shuffled from foot to foot, asking repeatedly if I was all right. After the fourth time, I lifted my face to look at his. At least his concern was genuine.

"I'm fine, Mike," I replied. "I just need a minute." Before I could go back to my previous position, I saw _him _clear across the campus, in the parking lot, heading our way. My groan was real when I dropped my head back to my knees. _Not him! _I peeked from beneath my hair to find Edward already behind Mike. He moved so fast; it had been only seconds.

"What's wrong with her?" There was tension in his voice, though I didn't understand it. It wasn't exactly what I thought was concern, but something else. "Is she all right?" Before either Mike or I could answer, he was kneeling in front of me. My eyes lifted to meet his. "What happened?"

"Blood-typing," I whispered, afraid to open my mouth too much, even though the worst of the nausea had passed already.

He cocked an eyebrow at my reply, as if it wasn't enough of one. "What? The smell makes me sick." I shuddered at the memory. He didn't look as if he believed me.

Mike spoke up. "She like fainted in class," he interjected and then added a little firmly, "I was taking her to the nurse's office."

Edward's head snapped in his direction, his eyes narrowing and then falling to his pocket where Mike kept his bloodied finger in after I asked him to. Seeing blood was as bad as smelling it.

"I'll take her," Edward said, rising to his feet and taking my gloved hand with him. I scrambled to my feet, shaking my head already. That wasn't a good thing to do, though—stupid head rush.

"Whoa," I said, listing to one side. They both reached for me at the same time, to steady me. There was a bit of a glare-off between the two, but Edward looked away first, though only to lead me from Mike.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing his forlorn expression. _Bye-bye, Mike. _There was a need for a phone call soon. I hadn't been very nice about what happened at lunch. I would have to explain to him later. We had gym together; perhaps I could do so then.

I groaned. "Gym."

Edward chuckled beside me. "I'm sure we can get you out of class, if you'd like."

I nodded, unable to say another word. What was about boys that made them think that everything was fine the second they see you again? I left the cafeteria upset that he would still lie to me, and yet to him, it was like it didn't happen.

"You were gone," I said, still a little upset about him ditching class and me.

"Skipping class every now and then is healthy," he answered. "I wasn't far, though." He looked at me, walking beside me. I no longer needed the support, but he kept a hand on my elbow. I suddenly felt a despise for my jacket and the thermal I wore underneath—what the hell was wrong with me?

"I thought you ditched me and I would need a ride after school…" I said, breaking away from his intense eyes.

"Was that what really happened?"

"I was thinking about how I was going to get home." I shrugged; it was as much of a confession he'd get from me. It was obvious that I was upset, but I didn't have to openly admit it. "I wasn't paying attention."

"That would explain how you didn't realize they were doing blood-typing." I nodded as he sighed. "I already said, I'd drive you and I meant it."

"You've said things that you don't mean before."

The silence was tense as he opened the door to the office. After a brief explanation to the nurse and quick examination, he sat with me as I lay down with a cold compress. The sheen of sweat on my skin turned it clammy under the icy cold.

"I forgot you don't like the cold," he said, amused as I glared at him.

"I'm getting used to it," I lied, my shiver making it obvious. "I feel better."

"Humor our nurse, Bella," he said, rising to his feet. "Besides, I said I'd get you out of Gym." He smiled and exited the room. I wondered for a moment, when the Mr. Hyde side of Edward would make an appearance again.

~oOo~

Toasty warm from the heater of Edward's car, I moved to turn it down. "I'm sorry for making you leave early," I said. God, I hoped my wet hair didn't ruin his seats. We'd been hit by heavy rain the second we stepped out of the office.

"It's fine. Emmett, Alice, and I are heading out this afternoon to pick up something in Seattle." He lowered his window an inch, his face turned toward it.

I sighed wistfully. "If you know of any good bookstores in the area, please let me know. I'd love to go soon."

"You're grounded, remember." I scowled at him, earning a chuckle. "I'll take you one of these weekends."

We pulled in front of my house, and before I could ask why he would bother, another thought occurred to me. "Wait, Seattle is hours away. Will you even be back tonight? Or in school tomorrow?"

He nodded. "I will."

"Well, don't break any speed limits to do so," I answered and he laughed softly, shaking his head to himself as if I'd just said something extremely amusing to him. I exited the car, shielding myself from the downpour. It wasn't until I was at the door and over the threshold that his car drove away.

Would I even survive this month of riding to school with him?


	6. The Tour

**A/N: Just a quick note to say thank you to everyone reading and reviewing this story. Each one is giving us both huge smiles and many happy giggles. We are so excited to see that you're enjoying this little tale we are telling. Our hectic real-life stuff is not allowing us much free time to respond to each one, but we really appreciate each and every one, and sincerely thank you all. **

**In one of the reviews, there was an inquiry made about our posting schedule, but as the review was anonymous, we could not reply. But we also thought it would be a good idea to clear that up for everyone. As of right now, we are posting every Monday until the story is complete.**

**There was also an inquiry made regarding a chapter in EPOV. While we have discussed and are considering doing a separate story for EPOV, this one will be entirely BPOV, keeping with the style of Twilight itself. **

**Thank you so much again, and hope you enjoy the chapter! Until next week :)**

* * *

**Stupid Volvo Owner**

**Chapter Six—The Tour**

As promised, Edward was at my door right on time the following morning, and appeared none too worse for the wear after the drive to Seattle and back the day before. In fact, if possible, he seemed to be in a relatively good mood—as moods go for Edward Cullen. He was a bit more relaxed, and even his eyes had a different light to them.

However, once we settled into his car, the air between us shifted once again. The tension gradually returned to his demeanor, and the ride to school closely resembled the morning before; stiff conversation, if any at all, arriving well before most of the student body, but this time, Edward hurried away first.

All morning and throughout the afternoon, my mind was consumed with the following day—what he would have me do, what I could possibly occupy myself with in that house on Saturday _and_ Sunday. From the small portion of the Cullen home I had seen, everything was immaculate, with not so much as a single, visible speck of dust anywhere. I knew teenage boys could be a little messier than others, but Edward did not strike me as one who would have a filthy living area, let alone a bedroom that would need to be thoroughly cleaned once a week. Even if he had me do his laundry, that would still be maybe two loads per week, unless he suddenly decided to be bold and start wearing more red.

"What are you thinking so hard about over there?" Edward's voice disrupted me from my thoughts as he was driving me home from school and I glanced over to him, expecting to find him smirking. Yet, his mouth was not curved at all and his brow was tight—he almost appeared stressed.

I gave a frustrated sigh and turned in my seat to look at him more directly. "Are you going to give me any hint whatsoever as to what you are planning to have me do tomorrow? Are you like some kind of secret hoarder, and I'll be bowled over when I open your closet door or something?"

A smile actually broke through on his face, a real smile, followed by a throaty laugh. "No, I don't believe so, but I also wouldn't recommend opening my closet, either." The look on my face must have been thoroughly amusing because his laughter increased, and he shook his head as he pulled to a stop in front of my house. "Guess you will just have to wait and see, Miss Swan."

I rolled my eyes and turned away, sighing. "Always with the cryptic answers."

"Nothing is wrong with a little mystery," he said.

"You're right," I replied, secretly knowing that what I was about to say would drive him up the wall. I wasn't stupid, I noticed the way he looked at me whenever I was as cryptic as he was, or when I was only telling him half-truths. It wasn't often, but enough to frustrate him to no end. Maybe that caused the drastic changes in his moods. "It only makes me curious, makes me want to figure you out. Or make a list."

That did it.

His fingers tightened over the steering wheel, and I looked out the window, hiding my smile. Then again, nothing got past Edward Cullen.

"Hmm, you enjoyed that, didn't you?" he asked, once again amused.

"A little bit," I said as I gathered my bag, but he didn't utter a word. I glanced at him, wondering if he was upset. "What time tomorrow?"

He was looking straight ahead at the rain that lightly pelted the windshield. "Depends on whether you sleep in on Saturdays," he said, though it sounded more like a question.

I wasn't much of a morning person, but I didn't want to work too late and couldn't start dinner at a decent hour. "I don't, but if you do, then that's okay. We can start later."

"I don't sleep in."

"Eight?"

He nodded and turned toward the slightly opened window, breathing deeply. "I'll be here."

As I exited, he called out my name. I turned to look at him; something in his features alarmed me. He looked concerned, maybe even a little scared.

"Do you really have a list?"

I wanted him to be honest with me, so I would do the same. "Yes." I slammed the door closed and made my way inside. All the while, I felt his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head. It didn't feel the same as when his sister, Rosalie, did it. More than anything, it was as if he was trying to figure me out.

There wasn't much mystery to me. It wouldn't take him long to figure out what I was about. That I couldn't get him out of my mind, even at times when I really wanted to. Or maybe _especially_ then. As I prepared an enchilada casserole for dinner, a thought occurred to me. Edward and I had actually carried on a conversation with one another, after we had already come to a stop in front of my house. He hadn't rushed me out of the car, or seemed in too much of a hurry to be free of me. Progress, or just a chance upswing of his ever-changing mood? I couldn't help wondering what the following day would bring.

~oOo~

I tossed and turned all night long with anxiety, my mind whirling with anticipation. I was still completely in the dark about what he would be expecting me to do. Was it so much to ask for him to give _one_ simple answer to a question, or was it physically impossible for him?

I continued to internally grumble as he walked me out to the car the next morning, sipping on a coffee in one of Charlie's travel mugs I'd grabbed from the cabinet. I made sure the tab was clicked closed before I even attempted to settle into… the Volvo. I stopped several feet from the car and gazed at him questioningly. "Explain."

"Explain what?" he asked with a knitted brow, but the slight twitching of his lips made it clear he was diverting again.

I sighed in exasperation, which only seemed to amuse him more. "The car, Edward. It's been two days. I doubt the deductible has even been processed yet, but your car is already fixed? Why am I doing this, then?"

"Because you insisted, as did your father. If it had been left up to me, I would have bypassed the insurance situation altogether, but you also garnered too many witnesses to the event, so the police became involved, as well. And to answer your other question, my sister, Rosalie, fixed my car, so I wouldn't have to keep driving the Aston to school."

"Wow, so you _do_ know how to do that?" I retorted sarcastically and moved to the car, lowering into the seat as he gazed down at me in confusion. "Answer questions."

Edward's lips tightened minimally as he closed the door behind me and walked around to the driver's side. Once settled inside, he started the ignition and cracked his window. "Are you always this crabby on the weekends before coffee? I didn't need to pick you up so early."

"Drive," I hissed, rolling my eyes. "I usually don't have coffee, but since I barely slept last night, wondering what the mysterious Edward Cullen will have me do, I decided a cup of joe was in order." I looked up in time to see him eyeing my cup questionably. "What now?"

He shrugged. "I'm wondering if it's making you crabbier." I huffed and nearly growled at him. Oh, he was infuriating. Before I could think of an adequate response, he continued. "It does make you more talkative."

"Then maybe you should try some," I said and continued my drink as he pulled out of the driveway.

He went back to silent after that quip. Maybe I was being crabby, or maybe his moods were contagious.

"Anything I should know about, like allergies?" he asked minutes from his house. Confused, I looked at him. "I need to make sure you don't get into something that you're allergic to while at our house."

"No allergies, but it'll probably be a good idea to keep sharp objects from me," I joked, trying to lighten the tension both in him and myself.

It wasn't very funny, but his reaction was a little extreme. His fingers were knuckle white on the steering wheel, his lips so thin, they almost disappeared, his eyes narrowed to slits.

"A very good idea," he said through clenched teeth.

I sighed and didn't try to talk to him again until we arrived. Once we did, I watched as he walked around to help me out of the car. After the first few times, I figured it was best to go along with it. Still strange; only Charlie opened doors for me, and that wasn't often.

We silently made our way up the stairs, to the front door. It wasn't locked as he led the way inside. I had hoped for some type of buffer in the form of his parents, but no one else seemed to be home.

On the day of the accident, I hadn't been focused on the interior of the house. When Charlie and I had driven up that afternoon, I'd been awed by the large home, one that looked as if was plucked from a page of Architectural Digest and set in the middle of a lush forest. Made mostly of glass and wood, every room, from what I could see on the main floor, looked as if they belonged in a magazine.

That made me nervous. One bump and I'd owe a lot more than a thousand dollars. "This is the living room," he said the first spoken words between us since the drive, leading toward another room. "The kitchen. You're welcome to anything you need while you're here."

"I can bring lunch next time," I said, feeling stupid for forgetting something so important. I was already in enough debt without adding to their grocery bill as well, even if I _was _only one person. Then again, I'd been distracted all morning.

He sighed and turned to walk toward some stairs, and I had to run to catch up to him. "Where's everybody else?" I asked, curious and again hoping we wouldn't be alone.

"Carlisle is working, Esme had a meeting with someone in Port Angeles, and the others decided to give us space today," he answered, rather flatly. I supposed I should learn to pick my battles. If he wanted to feed me, fine. He didn't have to be grumpy about it.

"I guess I could grab something downstairs, if you'd like," I said. It was hard to ignore the way his whole body relaxed. In a way, it made some of the tension in my posture release, too.

"Thank you," he replied softly, clearing his throat when we reached the landing. "This is Alice and Jasper's room." I looked at the door, and then at him to see if he was joking. He didn't appear to be.

"What is it?"

I shook my head, shrugging after a moment as I answered. "I have to admit that I didn't really believe the rumors going around school, but it's obvious that it's true." His eyebrow rose as he waited for me to explain. "You're all adopted, I know that, but they share rooms together, and Mr. and Mrs. Cullen are okay with this? That's a little weird."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Have you ever thought that maybe they got tired of all the sneaking around?"

"Maybe." It was still strange.

Moving on, we passed another door that he explained was Carlisle's office, which was off limits. I wanted to know what was inside, too curious for my own good. There was a half bath for guests, he said and before we reached another set of stairs, he pointed to another door.

"That's Emmett and Rosalie's room," he said with a hint of a crooked smile on his lips. "You don't want to go in there, trust me." I cocked an eyebrow at his words. "What?" He looked handsomely confused by my expression.

I wanted to shake my finger at him again, but I managed to rein in the need. "There are those famous words again. _Trust me_. Yet, nearly everything you do or say prevents it." I walked past him and up the next set of stairs, figuring out that his room had to be up there since there were no other rooms on the second floor.

He came up behind me, silently as ever. His room was large, most of my house could squeeze inside it. With high ceilings and windows, it had an open airy feeling to it. Centered in the middle of the room was an ornate black iron bed, with brand new bedding.

"This is my room," he whispered behind me, closer than I thought he'd be. I didn't move, standing perfectly still. My heart raced for reasons I didn't understand.

"It's nice," I said, internally groaning at my lame response. I finally began making my way through the room, once again wondering what he was going to have me do. It wasn't the average bedroom of a seventeen year old guy; everything seemed to have its place, even the organized chaos of papers on his desk. I took note of the stack of what appeared to be journals on the leather lounger on the opposite side of the room, and I wasn't as surprised by their presence as I was to their number. I understood the need to have a place to vent feelings and frustrations, keeping an occasional diary myself, but there were five just on the seat alone. To have that much on your mind would drive even the most stable person insane.

Was that part of his problem?

I glanced back at him and his shoulders were rigid again, his eyes moving quickly between me and his journals. "Don't worry, I'm not going to read them or anything. I wouldn't want you reading my diary, and I won't do to others what I don't want done to me."

Edward nodded and his features relaxed a little, but the rest of him still appeared to be on guard. "Thank you. Although I hardly think you would find them interesting at all. They are quite boring."

"Somehow, I highly doubt that," I muttered softly, not really as a matter of conversation, but more just speaking my thoughts aloud. I circled the outer perimeter of the room, taking in the view outside the massive windows before returning to the center again, to the bed. It was huge; a king, if I was not mistaken. "That's a pretty big bed. Just for you?"

Edward laughed uncomfortably and nodded, his voice holding a slight hesitation as he spoke. "Yes, why?"

"Just wondering," I replied with a shrug and ran my hand along the edge. The fabric felt odd and I looked down, and then lifted the corner of the comforter, finding the creases from the packaging still present on the navy-colored sheets. "Really, Edward? New bedding and you didn't wash it first? You have _got_ to be the worst bed maker in the world."

Edward's forehead creased and he looked at me as if I'd just spoken a foreign language. "Why would I wash them? They are brand new. They haven't been used."

"Oh my god, _finally_! A completely normal, teenage boy response from you!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up and collapsing backward on top of his bed, laughing until my eyes met his again. He had taken several steps back and was in the middle of a very hard swallow, and I shot back up again. I had just very casually and unceremoniously flung myself onto Edward Cullen's bed, without a single thought. My face was on fire as I began removing the pillowcases and gathering the bedding into my arms. "Because the fabric will be stiff, and you'll end up looking like a smurf from the dye on the sheets bleeding onto your skin if you sweat even a little. So, I guess that's a good place for me to start. Where is your washer? I'll go throw these in, and then we can figure out what else you want me to do. Although, honestly, I can't think of what else you would need me to do. I mean, even your music seems to be in some kind of order. Do you already have a maid or something here?"

Edward's eyebrow rose more the longer I spoke, as if waiting for me to finish, and his amused expression gradually made a reappearance on his face. To be honest, I was glad to see it. The tension between us was growing thick again, and that would only serve to drag the day out more if I was walking around on eggshells with him the entire time. He shook his head slowly with a short laugh. "No, we definitely do not. Is the caffeine kicking in?"

His sudden question caught me off-guard. "I don't know, why?"

"Because you've never said that much to me all at once unless you were yelling at me about something, and definitely not at that speed."

"I do not yell," I grumbled, as I tried to grab hold of all the bedding at once. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I do talk to you. You don't do much talking. Since I've been here, you've said very little, considering you've given me a five cent tour of your home. Which by the way, I mostly forgotten already, considering how quickly we walked past. Which rooms did I have to stay out of again? Emmett's and the office, right?"

I looked back at him with my arms folded over my chest, trying to convey my irritation, which wasn't hard when I found him appearing thoroughly amused. "I'm a constant source of entertainment to you, aren't I?"

The twitch of his mouth was enough of an answer, so I decided I'd go back to ignoring him. Hands full, I exited his room, traversing the stairs with care.

"No more coffee for me," I muttered softly to myself.

Beside me, Edward offered his two cents. "No, definitely not."

* * *

**A/N 2: She even made US a bit dizzy… definitely no more caffeine for Bella. Turns her into a spaz monkey.**


	7. Day One

**Stupid Volvo Owner**

**Chapter Seven— Day One**

By the time, I finished setting the washer, Edward had disappeared. I sighed a breath of relief, since it was hard to think when he was around. His presence both exhilarated and made me nervous. It was strange. I knew that some of that had to do with his looks, but I wasn't shallow. There was more to a boy than a pretty face.

The problem was that I was a little disappointed by what I'd already learned about him. It wasn't much, but the mood swings made it hard to see past the somber disposition and quick temper. Then again, I was quick to anger nowadays and I blamed it partially on him.

What teenage girl in her right mind wanted some handsome boy laughing at her? I was a bit disgusted with myself. Since when have I acted my age and cared about that kind of high school drama?

_Since you stomped on the gas and hit his car._

I was never one for violence and always believed that it wasn't an answer for anything. Yet, there I was, washing brand new sheets for Edward because I hit his car. Despite all that, it was a shame that I thought it was a daydream at the time. I probably would've enjoyed it, even for a tiny millisecond.

What bothered me about Edward the most was the mixed signals. There were flashes of moments where it seemed he'd like to be as far away from me as possible, then others where he wanted to be as close as he could without intruding on my personal space.

It hadn't escaped my notice that he hadn't asked once if I was all right. In fact, none of them had. That was rather rude of them. Was the car all that mattered to them? Of course, it was; I was just some stupid, angry girl to them.

I rolled my eyes at myself. I was _acting_ like a teenage girl with a crush on the hottest guy in school. It wasn't a crush, I told myself. It was more like curiosity. Mystery surrounded Edward Cullen and his family, and now, I was in the perfect position to find out more.

Was that what I wanted? _Maybe. _

I thought about the office he claimed was off limits, sounding very Beauty and Beast, and decided to have a peek before I returned to his room. If the door was locked, then I wouldn't try again.

_Liar, liar. _

I carefully took the stairs again, marveling at all the wood in house. Even the handrail appeared hand carved, beautiful, too. I thought about calling out to Edward, to see where he'd disappeared to, when something caught my eye downstairs. Hurriedly, I went down the dozen or so steps and into a room, which Edward had skipped on the tour.

In one corner, near the windows, exposed to a ray of sunlight from the north, was a grand piano. A memory of Renee's attempts to teach herself how to play came to mind as my fingers lightly skimmed the smooth, gleaming, black surface. The clouds shifted, darkening the area once again. It still was beautiful to look at.

"What are you doing?" his voice filtered from the dark corner of the room, startling me.

I kept my composure, but my heart raced. "Remembering how my mother tried to play her old upright when I was younger."

"Does she play still?"

I took a couple slow breaths; at least he didn't seem mad about me wandering a bit. I shook my head, smiling at the memories. "She wasn't very good, but I think she liked just having a reason to sing really loud. I wanted to learn, though." Did he detect the crack in my voice because I missed her so much?

"What did she play?" he asked, stepping toward me.

"The simple stuff and she mostly did it for me. We used to do chopsticks all the time," I whispered, laughing. "Then she'd play a little Claire de Lune on the stereo, wanting me to hear what a real pianist would sound like." I looked at him, surprised to see a small smile on his lips again. "Silly, right?"

He shook his head and walked past me to sit at the bench. The keys tinkled a bit as he lifted the cover and tested them after with graceful finger.

"Do you play?" I asked, feeling stupid since it seemed obvious. He nodded, silent as ever. At least it was an answer.

"It's been a while, though," he said softly. And then, he started to play as if it had only been yesterday. It was strange to see him that way, and it was foreign, somewhat unwelcomed. Appearing carefree as the beautiful notes carried throughout the room, eyes closed as the music played, lost in a sort of bliss that I didn't belong in.

I took a few steps back, needing the distance. I didn't want him to stop at the same time that I wanted him to. It only added to my confusion about him. I shook my head, turning to leave. The music stopped abruptly behind me.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To do what I came here for," I replied and made my way to his room.

When I got there, I realized that I still had no idea what else I was supposed to be doing, and I began desperately looking around his room. A quick glance at the clock on his wall nearly made me groan in frustration. I hadn't even been there for an hour, and there was still three more to go.

_If I can't occupy myself for one hour on one day here, how the heck am I going to fill eight of them every weekend for the next four months?_

"This was not a well thought through plan," Edward said, startling me once again with his sudden appearance behind me.

"Will you _stop_ doing that? I swear I'm going to put a bell around your neck or something," I retorted, taking a few steps forward, though for once, we seemed to be thinking the very same thing. "No, it wasn't. At least if it was the entire house, that would be seven people to clean up after, rather than just one. And one unbelievably _neat_ person, at that. Are you _sure_ you're seventeen?"

Edward's eyes tightened and his lips grew taut, and I couldn't figure out what I'd done this time to make him angry. "I look seventeen, don't I? Why?"

I shrugged, breaking eye contact with him and crossing the room to the shelves that held his music. "Teenage guys are just usually messier, in general, don't know what a hamper is used for, and almost always have b.o. You don't seem to have any of those traits." I froze, glancing up to him and finding his eyebrows high on his forehead in surprise, and I covered my face with my hands. Did I really just admit that I had actually noticed how he smelled? _No, only that he doesn't stink_, I reminded myself, and allowed my hands to fall. The look on his face told me that he was thinking along the same lines, so I decided to change the subject. "You need to give me something to do, though. I don't know what you're okay with me touching, or what's off limits, where cleaning supplies are, nothing."

"Right," Edward replied with a nod, and then began looking around the room as if the idea hadn't crossed his mind until that moment, either. He made his way over to the lounger, and picked up the journals—guess that answered one of my questions. "Nothing is off limits, really. And I believe Esme keeps everything downstairs. I'll just go get it."

I watched Edward disappear out the door quickly and sighed, feeling just as lost and out of place as I had only a few minutes before. His room was absolutely meticulous, aside from those journals he'd just picked up himself, once again emphasizing in my mind how odd he was. Aside from the lack of odor and strewn clothes on the floor, and of course, the bed sheet debacle, there wasn't even so much as a single poster of a car or bikini clad girl on the wall, or a calendar of sexy women—nothing. _Come on, you gotta give me something, Edward_, I thought to myself, when another thought popped into my head. Even Mike Newton had mentioned his possession of some of those dirty _guy_ magazines under his mattress, much to the dismay and disgust of Jessica. _That's 'normal teenage guy', right?_

Not knowing how much time I had before Edward returned, I chanced a peek over my shoulder toward the door, and hurried over to his bed. I surreptitiously bent to lift the edge of the mattress, and…nothing. I let it drop, and that new bed smell assaulted me, before I raced around to the other side to check under there, too.

_Damn it_, I cursed. When would _anything_ about Edward Cullen ever make any sense?

My eyes moved around the room and landed on his desk at the opposite corner, with haphazardly scattered sheets of paper and even a couple crumpled balls of it on its surface. Okay, so not _everything _about Edward was meticulously neat, it seemed. Curiosity nagged at me until I was standing behind the chair, looking down upon it. It was sheet music, with handwritten notes penned onto the lines. I was no expert in reading or deciphering them, by any means, but I knew enough that I was aware of how complicated it was.

Hadn't he just said downstairs that it had been a while since he'd played? When I looked at the sheets again, I imagined him the way one would envision any other composer—scribbling the notes feverishly on the lines before testing out the sequence on the keys. But the piano was downstairs, and from the clutter on his desk, it seemed that it had originated there.

"Okay, I do ask that those be left alone," Edward's voice sounded suddenly again and I jumped back from the desk. He actually appeared nervous, possibly even a little embarrassed, which I couldn't understand. Well, maybe I could; musical talent in a teenage guy was rarely appreciated, if it didn't involve a guitar or a crazy voice. Personally, I found it fascinating, even in Edward Cullen.

"Sorry, I wasn't going to touch anything," I answered quickly, shaking my head. "It's pretty amazing, though. But don't you need the piano or something to do this? You said you hadn't played in a while."

"I haven't. And no, I don't," he countered in an abrupt tone, but didn't elaborate any more than that before setting down the bucket of cleaning supplies.

"Sorry again," I mumbled, turning away. "Music is very personal sometimes. Like I said, I'd never want someone to read through my diary." He winced, straightening the sheets while keeping them close to his chest. "And writing your own music can be like that, can't it?"

His brow furrowed as his eyes swept from his scribbled sheet music to my face. "Very."

I nodded, biting my lip and willing myself not to blush under his gaze. It was so intense that it seemed he was trying to concentrate on a difficult equation.

_That makes two of us, Edward._

"The washer is done," he said to break the silence and our stare down.

It was my turn to be confused. I looked out into the hall, listening. "You heard it ding from all the way up here?"

His mouth twitched and he rolled his eyes. "The load only takes twenty-eight minutes."

Had it been that long? I snapped out of it and went downstairs to remove the sheets and put them in the dryer. It seemed a good opportunity to explore the room, happy to find a duster and some furniture polish in one of the cabinets nearby.

I checked the length of the drying cycle and sighed. There was too much time before they finished. Since Edward hadn't followed me down after my abrupt departure, I chose to look around the bottom floor again.

The place was immaculate. Not one thing out of place or a speck of dust anywhere to be seen. I'd even had gone as far as to explore their kitchen to find everything labeled. Though, why anyone would have anchovies stocked in their pantry willingly was beyond me. I shuddered at the memory of the one instance Renee insisted on tasting it on our Tuesday night pizza. It was safe to say we never tried them again.

I sighed, something I often did when I missed my mother.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he said behind me as I turned to lean against the granite countertop behind me.

I crossed my arms over my chest, watching the way his eyes narrowed slightly. "Why do you care what I'm thinking?"

"I'm trying to figure you out," he answered simply, accompanied with a careless shrug. A part of me saw the move as a way to convey that he didn't care, at all. A smaller part of me thought that it was his attempt to feign disinterest, while internally, he wanted to know something about me.

"To have some right to know what I'm thinking, we'd have to be friends, Edward." His brow furrowed once again, his lip pursing. The hands he had propped against the kitchen island across from me fisted and dug into the pockets of his jeans. "You said you didn't want to be friends."

"I said that it would be best, not that I didn't want to be."

"That makes sense," I said slowly with my usual sarcasm, immediately regretting it. With every second I spent in his presence, the more I regressed to a normal teenage girl; my mother would be happy, at least.

His eyes widened at my words, and then narrowed and looked to be back to his customarily uncheery self. Something akin to resolution seemed to square his shoulders, straighten his already perfect posture, and fill his eyes with renewed determination.

"Let's see if we can find something else for you to do in the next few hours," he stated, almost regally. He turned on his heel and started to walk away. "Come along then."

I shouldn't have mentioned that conversation we had before the accident, since it obviously made him irritable. The constant up and down roller coaster moods were making me dizzy, though.

He stopped in the laundry room, removed a few items from a cabinet, and started to walk past me. "Let me help," I said, offering my hand.

"Bella," he said my name with exasperation, "You tend to trip over the smallest of things. Do you believe you're capable of traversing those stairs without causing some disastrous spill or fall?" When I stood with jaw on the floor and angry, heated cheeks, he continued. "I thought so. You can dust my shelves." He looked over his shoulder a third of the way up the stairs to add, "The _lower _ones for today."

My breathing picked up, as did my blood pressure. I wanted to take the bottle of furniture polish from his grasp and hit him with it. I fought the sting in my eyes, because he would not be privy to my angry tears.

The first hour was a smashing success, I thought sarcastically.

I lightly dusted his lower shelves as he requested, under his watchful eyes. He sat at his desk, tapping a pencil incessantly. I had to wonder if he was doing it on purpose, because he stopped every time I looked at him.

"You're going to have to find me something else to do, Edward," I said, turning back toward the shelves.

"I'm aware of that and I'm trying to determine what you are capable of."

I shrugged, trying not to be offended by his constant reminder that I was accident-prone. He knew it and so did I, and I had to accept that he'd have to work around my abilities.

"I could cook for you," I stated, looking back again. "I'm a pretty decent cook." I didn't miss the wince on his face.

"I'm on a special diet." Something in his voice said that there was more to that statement. Add the fact that his words were accompanied by a crooked, but out of place smile, only raised my suspicions.

"Super speed and strength would require that in a person, I guess," I said stupidly. It was now obvious that my filter had all but disappeared!

I startled, dropping the bottle of polish in my hand as he slammed something down on his desk. I turned to find him already at the door. He paused to explain. "The dryer should be done."

I nodded, not bothering to call him on his lie. The dryer cycle had at least another ten minutes to go. When he returned, he dropped the newly laundered sheets on the bed, not being careful to avoid wrinkles.

I made my way toward him, rolling my eyes as I muttered, "Men."

"What?" he asked, with that same look of confusion on his face again. Had he never made his bed before?

"The sheets are warm and prone to wrinkles if you just," I waved my hands around toward the bed, "bundle it like that." I shook my head, pulling the fitted sheet from the pile and shaking it out. "Does your mother make the bed for you?"

He looked down at his feet, shrugging and curling his hand along the back of his neck. "Not always."

_Boys. _

I smiled when I smelled the hint of jasmine and mountain breeze. "I love the smell and warmth of fresh out of the dryer sheets." I didn't bother to explain further and placed the other sheet on the couch.

I wasn't used to having to make such a large bed, considering mine was only a twin. The same principles applied but it would be hard to do with him hovering so close. I eyed him warily over my shoulder and he seemed to take the hint.

However, he only changed where he'd watch from—on his couch. I tried to steady the sudden acceleration of my heartbeat and went to work. It was harder to ignore him, even though he picked up what looked like a new book.

I spread the fitted sheet as much as I could over the center of the bed, working from the top right-hand corner until I did all four. Walking back around, I noticed the crease in the middle and had to stretch over the edge of the bed to smooth it out.

The slap of a book closing behind me surprised me, but I kept working, spreading the other sheet on the bed, doing it the same way as the other. The sound of squeaky leather had me turn to look. Etched on his face was a gaze very similar to the one he had that first day in Biology. Lips pursed and his eyes predatory, the fingers of his hand on the armrest seemed to dig into the pliant leather.

I swallowed the need to ask what the hell his problem was and grabbed the new comforter instead. It was an expensive quality, in pattern of gold and black. _Weird combination with the navy sheets_, I thought, but it also reminded me of something that tried to trigger a memory in my mind.

Gold and black were the colors of his eyes, two distinct hues impossible to ignore. His eyes were black again, yet I distinctly remembered they were golden butterscotch earlier. When had he put in the contacts he claimed to use?

Finished with the task, I patted the soft bedding, stepping back to admire my work. "This comforter is very nice."

"It is," he said softly.

I gave him a smile, which he returned hesitantly. My foot brushed something underneath the bed, some kind of shopping bag. I knelt and grabbed it and two others, waving them at him.

"Do you want me to get rid of these?" I asked as I rose to my feet. I faced him again, hoping that whatever was wrong with him before was over. Though the almost murderous glare was gone, yet, his eyes were wide, his hands clenched into fists on his thighs and his mouth slightly parted.

"Yes, please," he murmured, and for some reason, he looked away from me first. If I didn't know any better, I would say he looked ashamed. That couldn't be right.

With two hours left, he gave me a better tour of the house, though still didn't show me inside the rooms that were off limits. He did have me follow him outside, where he breathed deeply for a second before leading me to the garage.

Inside were several cars, each one as expensive and showy as his Aston. The room was temperature controlled with special lighting that would preserve their paint jobs, he explained. It all sounded like nonsense to me and I realized what Edward was doing.

He wanted to pass the time as quickly as possible. In the garage, there was also some kind of workstation area with every tool, mechanical or construction, known to man in cabinets and on tables. Along one wall were several ladders in various heights.

_Maybe I could do his windows tomorrow._

My stomach growled shortly before my time was up, and he led me back into the kitchen. He looked through several cabinets, asking if I liked anything they had on hand.

"I'm sorry," he stated, shaking his head. "My mother has not had the chance to go grocery shopping."

I shrugged and stepped beside him. I made to grab a box of crackers when he stiffened, realizing too late that I was closer than usual. With his usual grace, he spun away and put the kitchen island between us.

I opened the box and grabbed a sealed package of Ritz when I saw the date. "They're expired."

He sighed. "Maybe we should call it a day."

I looked at the time on the microwave to see only fifteen minutes remained. "I guess so." He nodded and left me to grab his car keys upstairs. It was obvious he couldn't wait to get rid of me.

It was definitely going to be a long four months.


End file.
